Having been a producer for over 50 years, it is interesting how veteran filmmaker Allu Aravind hasn’t yet backed a direct Tamil film under the banner Geetha Arts. Of course, there have been remakes like Rajinikanth’s Mappillai (1989), Ninaithen Vandhai (1998), and Darling (2015). But an original Tamil film that is written and made with a Tamil star hasn’t yet been bankrolled by Allu Aravind. Interestingly, in a press interaction ahead of the release of his upcoming film Thandel, Aravind revealed that such a project might just be happening.
When asked about his long-pending direct release in Tamil, and the possible star he would like to work with, Aravind said, “I have been very good friends with Suriya for a long time. I’d like to work with him, for sure. In fact, it is early days, but Chandoo (Mondeti) has been in talks with Suriya about this project. However, it is still early days, and we are not sure how things would turn out.”
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Interestingly, Thandel director Chandoo Mondeti, in an earlier media interaction, revealed that Allu Aravind placed trust in his capabilities, and asked him to make a film for the likes of Suriya or Ram Charan on a budget of Rs 300 crore.
This project joins a long lineup of movies that have been speculated to join Suriya’s filmography. While the actor is awaiting the release of Karthik Subbaraj’s Retro, he also has Suriya 45, directed by RJ Balaji, and Vetrimaaran’s Vaadivaasal. Other speculative projects include films with Basil Joseph and Venky Atluri.
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Thandel, which marks Allu Aravind’s first film with Naga Chaitanya since the Sukumar blockbuster 100 % Love, is set to hit the screens on February 7. The film, which is the third collaboration between Chaitanya and director Chandoo Mondeti after Premam and Savyasachi, will be released in Tamil, and Hindi. Thandel also features Sai Pallavi and Karunakaran in his Telugu debut.